sucking the life out of us. >> reporter: the attack ads put romney on defense for months. >> there's nothing wrong with being associated with bane capital for months. >> reporter: the president also got a lift from the supreme court which at number eight upheld his embattled health care law, so romney vowed to strike it down himself. >> i'm that one that's going to get rid of obama care. >> reporter: number seven, gas. >> governor romney, do you feel your gaffes have overshadowed your trip? >> reporter: his missteps often dominated the news cycle. >> the private sector is doing fine. >> reporter: or in romney's campaign, his entire foreign trip. ub at six, the conventions were remembered less for the nominees and their running mamts and more for -- >> what do you want me to tell romney? i can't tell him to do that to himself. >> reporter: the warm-up act that stole the show. >> we believe that we're all in this together is a far better philosophy than you're on your own. >> reporter: at number five, is september 11th attack in benghazi injected foreign policy into the race. >> justic